Stock guiding and feeding mechanism



May 21, 1929. F. T. sElBERT STOCK GU'IDING AND FEEDING MECHANISM 2Sheets-Sheet Fled May 4, 1926 May 2; 1929. F. T. sx-:IBER-r "STOCKGUIDING AND FEEDING MECHANISM Filed May 4, 1926 2 Smets-sheet 2 PatentedMay 21, 1929.

UNiTED STATES 'PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK T. SEIBERT, 0F INGOMAR, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR 'IO JONES &LAUGHLIN STEEL CORPORATION, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATIONOF* PENNSYLVANIA.

STOCK GUIDING AND FEEDING MEGHANISM.

Application led May 4,

The present invention relates to stock feeding mechanism or steady restsfor metal working machines, and the invention aims generally to improvemechanisms for feeding and guiding the stock in various metal workingmachines where it isV desirable to present a longitudinally moving androtating cylindrical piece of work, such as shafting, to a finishingtool, as for instance a grinding and polishing wheel `or the like, asshown and described in my copending application filed simultaneouslyherewith, Serial No. 106,710 filed May 4, 1926.

Further aims and advantages appear hereinafter in connection with thedescription of the embodiment of my invention selected for illustrativepurposes and shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is anelevation of a steady rest for a shafting grinding machine constructedin accordance with the'present invention, parts thereof being shown insection better to show the construction; A

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof partly in section;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Figs. 4 and 5 are a detail end view and side elevation, respectively ofone of theV bearing blocks, showing the helical rib thereon adapted forengagement in agroove in the guide ways, and indicating the extent ofangular twist dueto changes in adjustment to suit different diameters ofstock.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, the base10 supports a housing oi' support 11, preferably annular in shape, whichis formed with radial pockets for guide ways 12. As shown in Fig. 1, thesides of the housing are preferably open at the centers to permitmovement of the worlr 13 transversely therethrough.

For the purpose of guiding or feeding the work longitudinally, andsimultaneously rotating it, I provide a plurality of rolls 14 journaledupon spindles 15 mounted in bearing blocks 16 which are slidably mountedwithin the housing 11 soas to be capable of movement radially in theguide ways 12. In the arrangement illustrated in the drawings, threerolls 14 are provided,`which are equidistantly spaced around the 'axisof the 1926. Serial N0. 106,709.

work. Preferably the upper roll is resiliently mounted so as to permityielding of the roll due to slight irregularities in the work. In theembodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, the bearing block 16of the upper roll is counter-bored to form an internal annular flange 17adapted to engage over and be supported by an outwardly extending fiange18 on a thimble 19. A spring 20 is positioned within the bore of theupper portion of the bearing block, and surrounding the thimble 19, andis held undei` compression against the flange 17 by means of a nut 21threaded upon the thimble, thereby resiliently pressing the assembledbearing block 16 and roll 14 inwardly and downwardly.

The assembled roll units are each supported adjustably within the guideways 12 by means of shafts 22 each of which is secured at one end to thethimbile 19, in the case of the upper roll or to the bearing block 16,kin the case of the two lower rolls, by a pin 23 or other suitable means.At the opposite end of each, these shafts are threaded to cooperate withthreaded sleeves 24-,which are suitably supported in the peripheral wallof the housing 11 to permit rotation, preferably in unison, wherebyrotation of the threaded sleeves 24 will effect siinultaneous movementof the shafts radial y.

For the purpose of simultaneously adjusting each of the rolls radiallyin the guide ways 12, I preferably secure to each of the sleeves 24 apinion 25 adapted to meshr with a single ring gear 26 mounted to rotatein the peripheral wall of the housing 11. Suitable means is provided forrotating the ring gear 26, as for instance an adjusting .pinion 27secured upon a stub shaft 28 supported by the housing 11. The ring gearis preferably provided with a scale 29 adapted to cooperate with apointer 34 to indicate the radial adjustments of the rolls (see Fig. 2).Preferably the scale 29 is so graduated as to indioatethe diameters ofthe shafts for which the rolls are adjusted.

IfvThen the invention is embodied in a driven steady rest for thepurpose of feeding the cylindrical work longitudinally, the angularlydisposed rolls 14 are driven in anv suitable mfanner, as by shafts 30,so as simultayio neou'sly to rotate and feed the work longitudinally.Reference is made to my application Ser. No. 106,710 iiled May Li, 1926,referred to above, wherein means for rotating the Vrolls I vareillustrated.

,ing to the embodiment of the invention showngin the. drawings, thebearing blocks and theguidefways l2 are formed withcooperatinglielicallyarranged guides forthe purpose ofitwisting the bearing blocks to `changethe angular adjustment of the rolls when adjusted radially. As shown, aVmember 3l is securely attached to each side of thefbearing block rl,said member ybeing formed with a ,helical Vrib 32 adapted Vto slide in acorresponding groove 33 in the adjacent guide plate A12. Thus it isobvious Vthat as the rolls la (see Fig. 3) are adjusted Y Y radiallyoutward; toaccommodate work of largeiwclianietei's, the angular positionor Obliquity ofthe rolls with, reference to the shaft will be decreasedand vice versa! (see Figs. 4t and 5). In Fig. 4 the linesA B and Af Bindicate the relativel'angularity of the aXes' of the rolls to the axisof the stock X-X for two pieces of stock of different diameter, thesetting for ,the larger being i indicated by the lines A B and thesmaller by A B, the corresponding positions of the rolls being shownindotted lines. By reason of lthis construction, with the machineillustrated it ispossible to feedcylindrical objects,

j such as shafts, of a, wide range ofl sizes, as for instance from 1%inches to 6 inches in l diameter, at Asubstantially the same rate and`the same speed of rotation' A Advantages of the invention are its sim--plicity construction, compactness of larrangementof parts, and ease withwhich the rolls` may be adjusted to work of different diameters.Furthermore by the simpleand single adjustment; of the rolls for thediameter of the work, the accurate angular adjustment ofthe rolls issimultaneously effect. 4ed automatically, whereby to feed the work atsubstantially the same linear speed.

Obviously. my invention is not to be restricted to the details shown anddescribed.

What Ijclaim as ,new is:

1. Mechanism for feeding and` i rotating lcylindrical work to a metalworking ma- V chine comprising a support .having radial guideways, rollassemblies mounted in said guideways, means for adjustingthe rollassemblies radially to accommodate work of different diameters, saidguideways and assemblies being formed with voppositely dis- V k posedmating helical members whereby the angular position ,of the rollis'changed with reference to the axis of the work simultaneously and inaccordance with the radial Vjournaled in said bearing members, meansVfor driving said rolls, means for adjusting said bearing members' anddriven rolls radially to accommodate work of different diameters, saidguideways and bearing members kbeing formed with'oppos'itely vdisposedmating helical members for changing the angular position of the roll`with reference to the `axis of the shaft simultaneously and' inaccordance with the radial adjustment of the roll, and a single meansrotatably supported upon saidhousing'an'd having engagement with each ofthe adjusting means forthe bearinginembers whereby :said bearing memkbers may be simultaneously` uniformly ad` justed to accommodate work ofdifferent diameters.' 3, 4Mechanism forlongitudinally feeding androtating cylindrical work to 'a metal working machine vcomprising ahousing having l, radial guideways,vbearing members mounted in saidways, power driven rolls carriedby said bearing members andl meansforadjusting said bearingimembers radially, in said ways comprisingthreaded shafts each secured at one end toa corresponding bearingmember, rotatable means mounted in said housing Vand having threadedVengagement withA each of said shafts, and common means for rotating allof said'rotatable means whereby Aeach of thel rolls is simultaneouslyadjusted radially within the housing, said bearing'members and guidewaysbeing vformed with oppositely dis-l posed mating helical members forchanging the angular position ofthe rolls with reference tothe axisofthe work simultaneously and Vinv accordance with theradial adjustmentsof the rolls. f Y 4. In a feeding device for a shaft grind? iiigmachineof the character described, sets of `feed rolls disposed in the sametransverse plane and surrounding the axis ofthe shaft,

means forrotating 'saidzfeedrolls at the same .speedfrom a commonsource, vjournals for said feed rolls, said journals being rotatablymounted in alining bearings on Vbrackets carried by slides radiallymovable'in fixed guides extending towards the axis of said shaft from aplurality ofdirectio'ns, said slides and guides being formed withoppositely Adisposed vmating helical ribs and grooves forgiving a twistto said brackets as they are adjusted radially toward or from saidshaft, and screw means on said brackets for adjusting said brackets andfeed rolls toward or Vfrom Vsaid shaft andV securing them in adjustedposition.

5. In a feeding device for a shaft grinding machine of the characterdescribed, sets of feed rolls disposed in the same transverse plane andsurrounding the axis of the shaft, means for rotating` said feed rollsat the same speed from a common source, journals for said feed rolls,said journals being rotatably mounted in alining bearings on bracketscarried by slides radiallymovable in fixed guides extending towards theaxis of said shaft from a plurality of directions, said slides andguides being formed with oppo sitely disposed mating helical ribs andgrooves for giving a twist to said brackets as they are adjustedradially toward or from said shaft, and screw means on said brackets foradjusting said bracket-s and feed rolls toward or from said shaft andsecuring them in adjusted position, said screw adjusting meanscomprising a common operating means providing individual radial andangular adjustment of said brackets and rolls simultaneously;

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

FRANK T. SEIBERT.

